A money-conscious guide to giving mosquitoes the brushoff

August 04, 2007|HEATHER SVOKOS McClatchy Newspapers

FORT WORTH, Texas It's been a great summer for mosquitoes, and we're sick of scratching ourselves raw. We set out on a quest for a machine that would perpetrate mass mosquito murder. But after talking to experts, we found there is no mechanical panacea. Many of the expensive traps generate chemicals that are known to attract mosquitoes -- and the chief chemical is carbon dioxide, which is also emitted by humans. "These are based on technologies that entomologists have used for years for mosquito surveillance," says Roxanne Connelly, South Atlantic regional director of the American Mosquito Control Association. "So we know they attract and collect mosquitoes." However, "you may be attracting (species of) mosquitoes to a backyard that wouldn't normally have been there," Connelly says. And "you, the living being, are ... going to be more attractive to the mosquito than the device." Here, a roundup of strategies at various price points: Free Experts say the best ways to repel mosquitoes are the four D's -- and three of the four are free. Drain: Your yard should be drained of any standing water. Look out for even a thimbleful, says David Jefferson, environmental health manager for the Tarrant County, Texas, Public Health Department. Dusk/dawn: That's when skeeters are most active, so stay inside! Dress: Mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing, and can bite through clothing that's tight-fitting, so you should cover your body with as much light-colored, loose-fitting clothing as possible. CheapDEET, also known as the fourth "D" ($4-$6) Some people are wary of DEET (technical name: N, N diethyl-m-toluamide) because of its chemical content and strong warning labels. But a 2006 "Consumer Reports" ranking of mosquito repellents gave top marks to Deep Woods Off for Sportsmen I (overall score: 92 out of 100), which contains 98 percent DEET. For something with a lower DEET concentration, try Cutter Unscented Outdoorsman (score: 70; 30 percent deet). (Note: Sprays with the DEET alternative picaridin did not do as well in the ranking. For example, Cutter Advanced Sport aerosol with picaridin's score was just 40.) Under $40 ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent ($24-$30) This cordless, hand-held butane device looks like a remote control, and it's gotten raves from the hunters who've reviewed the product on the Bass Pro Shop Web site. It emits a man-made version of a naturally occurring insecticide, something like what chrysanthemums give off, according to Harel Shapira, accounts manager at The Schawbel Corp., ThermaCELL's parent company. Shapira says it takes 15 to 30 minutes to warm up, and once it's on, it should clear your deck of mosquitoes for up to 12 hours. Refill kits run between $6 and $20. ThermaCELL also makes a lantern-style device for roughly the same price. Where to get it: Look for it in the camping department at Bass Pro Shop, and at Academy Sports and Outdoors, Wal-Mart and Walgreens stores.